Pile
noun
A number of things placed on top of each other in an untidy way.
He left a pile of clothes on the bed.
Often appears as...
- pile of clothes
- pile of books
noun
A large amount of something.
He has a pile of work to do.
Often appears as...
- pile of work
- pile of homework
noun
A large building or group of buildings.
He lives in a grand old pile in the countryside.
Usage tips
Informal
Colloquial
verb
To put things on top of each other to form a pile.
She piled the dishes on the counter.
Often appears as...
- pile up
- pile on
noun
A long, heavy post driven into the ground to support a structure.
The foundation of the building was supported by concrete piles.
Usage tips
Technical
experience
An expense or trouble.
That luxurious wedding must have been some pile.
Usage tips
Idiomatic
noun
A number of things placed on top of each other in an untidy way.
He left a pile of clothes on the bed.
Often appears as...
- pile of clothes
- pile of books
noun
A large amount of something.
He has a pile of work to do.
Often appears as...
- pile of work
- pile of homework
noun
A large building or group of buildings.
He lives in a grand old pile in the countryside.
Usage tips
Informal
Colloquial
verb
To put things on top of each other to form a pile.
She piled the dishes on the counter.
Often appears as...
- pile up
- pile on
noun
A long, heavy post driven into the ground to support a structure.
The foundation of the building was supported by concrete piles.
Usage tips
Technical
experience
An expense or trouble.
That luxurious wedding must have been some pile.
Usage tips
Idiomatic
Definition 1 of 6
Pro Tip 1/2Visual Imagery
Picture a stack of objects in disarray, like items dropped rather than placed.
A search left a pile of books sprawling across the floor.
Pro Tip 2/2Conveys Messiness
'Pile' often suggests the items aren't neatly arranged, indicating disorganization.
He rummaged through the pile of papers on his desk.
Pro Tip 1/2Visual Imagery
Picture a stack of objects in disarray, like items dropped rather than placed.
A search left a pile of books sprawling across the floor.
Pro Tip 2/2Conveys Messiness
'Pile' often suggests the items aren't neatly arranged, indicating disorganization.
He rummaged through the pile of papers on his desk.
Pro Tip 1/2Visual Imagery
Picture a stack of objects in disarray, like items dropped rather than placed.
A search left a pile of books sprawling across the floor.
Pro Tip 2/2Conveys Messiness
'Pile' often suggests the items aren't neatly arranged, indicating disorganization.
He rummaged through the pile of papers on his desk.
Never forget "Pile"
Humans forget easily. That's why you should download WordUp: Smart reminders, word games, AI practice, and much more!
Video examples
How did clouds get their...
cumulus, heap or pile, and stratus, layer or sheet. But that wasn't the clever part. Clouds are constantly changing, merging, rising, falling, and spreading throughout the atmosphere, rarely maintaining the same shapes for more than a few minutes.
Video examples
Can you solve the...
If they balance, the third coin is fake. Otherwise, look at their marks. If they are plus coins, the heavier one is the imposter. If they are marked with minus, it's the lighter one. But what if the first two piles you weigh don't balance?
Video examples
Filming The World's...
to germinate it goes through cassery's gut and once it's done that it is obviously food out and it is able to grow in its own little pile of casserole fertilizer australia's wildlife is found nowhere else it's incredibly special so what i
Video examples
Learning is bravery PIPE...
do things that touch other people right but we're so eager to add another tweet and do another thing and put another thing on the pile cause it's safer it gives us a way to protect ourselves now we make the menu longer instead of
Video examples
Filming Inside a Cave...
up and up and it's just incredible to think that the bats have been creating this pile probably for thousands of years and it's just been getting bigger and deeper and steeper and cockroaches love it they're just
Video examples
Hermit Crabs Use Litter...
So, they leave seashells near the rubbish piles to help the homeless crustaceans. The crab normally winds its body into the spiral of a shell. It's far harder to grip a straight and slippery can.
Video examples
Army Ants Rampage...
A defence system of soldier ants ready to act at any sign of danger. A digestive system processing piles of food deep inside. Even a coordinated system for dealing with all the waste.
Video examples
Bring on the learning...
But he said "The dogmas of the quiet past are inadequate to the stormy present. The occasion is piled high with difficulty, and we must rise with the occasion." I love that.
Video examples
The myth of Cupid and...
First, Psyche was told to sort a huge, messy pile of seeds in a single night. Just as she was abandoning hope, an ant colony took pity on her and helped with the work.
Video examples
Zombie Parasites PIPE Nat...
the caterpillar survives, it wakes up, it crawls on the top of the pile of cocoons and it spins that additional layer of protective silk. And the reason for this,
Video examples
How did clouds get their...
cumulus, heap or pile, and stratus, layer or sheet. But that wasn't the clever part. Clouds are constantly changing, merging, rising, falling, and spreading throughout the atmosphere, rarely maintaining the same shapes for more than a few minutes.
Video examples
Can you solve the...
If they balance, the third coin is fake. Otherwise, look at their marks. If they are plus coins, the heavier one is the imposter. If they are marked with minus, it's the lighter one. But what if the first two piles you weigh don't balance?
Video examples
Filming The World's...
to germinate it goes through cassery's gut and once it's done that it is obviously food out and it is able to grow in its own little pile of casserole fertilizer australia's wildlife is found nowhere else it's incredibly special so what i
Video examples
Learning is bravery PIPE...
do things that touch other people right but we're so eager to add another tweet and do another thing and put another thing on the pile cause it's safer it gives us a way to protect ourselves now we make the menu longer instead of
Video examples
Filming Inside a Cave...
up and up and it's just incredible to think that the bats have been creating this pile probably for thousands of years and it's just been getting bigger and deeper and steeper and cockroaches love it they're just
Video examples
Hermit Crabs Use Litter...
So, they leave seashells near the rubbish piles to help the homeless crustaceans. The crab normally winds its body into the spiral of a shell. It's far harder to grip a straight and slippery can.
Video examples
Army Ants Rampage...
A defence system of soldier ants ready to act at any sign of danger. A digestive system processing piles of food deep inside. Even a coordinated system for dealing with all the waste.
Video examples
Bring on the learning...
But he said "The dogmas of the quiet past are inadequate to the stormy present. The occasion is piled high with difficulty, and we must rise with the occasion." I love that.
Video examples
The myth of Cupid and...
First, Psyche was told to sort a huge, messy pile of seeds in a single night. Just as she was abandoning hope, an ant colony took pity on her and helped with the work.
Video examples
Zombie Parasites PIPE Nat...
the caterpillar survives, it wakes up, it crawls on the top of the pile of cocoons and it spins that additional layer of protective silk. And the reason for this,
Example 1 of 10
Quote examples
Brock Pierce
American Businessman
I'm normally running three to 10 meetings at a time. I just pile them all up. I have no schedule and everybody just kind of meets at the same time. It sometimes makes people who are really important in their minds very uncomfortable because they're used to getting an automatic three hours alone.
Quote examples
Helen Oyeyemi
British Novelist
I think, basically, what I'm good for is reading - a lot. I think I'll always be more of a reader than a writer, definitely. There are sooo many books in the world I haven't read, sometimes I feel as if they're all piled on top of my head weighing me down and saying, 'Hurry up.
Quote examples
Patty Murray
American Politician
I'll be at the table, as I've been, willing to talk to any Republican who says, 'Look, my country is more important, this pile of bills is not going to go away, the challenges that we have is not going to disappear, we need to cross that divide.' I'm ready. I'm waiting.
Quote examples
Steve Buscemi
American Actor
Character actors just pile up the credits because you work on a movie for, like, a few days. It's not like I'm the lead in everything I do - far from it. I'm not spending three or four months on a picture; I'm spending three or four weeks. Sometimes three or four days.
Quote examples
Danica Patrick
American Driver
I think the more yellows, the more lights, the better. It alerts everybody. I mean, I guess I'm always a little bit afraid when the yellow comes out, we all get out of it, that someone won't notice it, pile into the back of you.
Quote examples
Pooja Bedi
Indian Actress
We need to celebrate our lives. One day, we're all going to be dead and gone, and be nothing more than a pile of ashes. This is one life we've got and the only way to live it is to live it up shamelessly and joyously.
Quote examples
Charlotte Dujardin
British Athlete
The fan mail I get every day is incredible. It piles through the door from not just Britain but everywhere. It is so great to have that support behind me - everyone says I am an inspiration. It is great.
Quote examples
Alice Ripley
American Actor
My favorite thing as a performing artist is to get a pile of raw material from a writer who says, 'Will you help me make this real?' There's nothing like starting from scratch.
Quote examples
Barbara Walters
American Journalist
I can get a better grasp of what is going on in the world from one good Washington dinner party than from all the background information NBC piles on my desk.
Quote examples
Kameron Hurley
American Writer
Authors are often sent a number of books to read for possible review and advance praise. It can be easy for new books to get lost in the pile.
Quote examples
Brock Pierce
American Businessman
I'm normally running three to 10 meetings at a time. I just pile them all up. I have no schedule and everybody just kind of meets at the same time. It sometimes makes people who are really important in their minds very uncomfortable because they're used to getting an automatic three hours alone.
Quote examples
Helen Oyeyemi
British Novelist
I think, basically, what I'm good for is reading - a lot. I think I'll always be more of a reader than a writer, definitely. There are sooo many books in the world I haven't read, sometimes I feel as if they're all piled on top of my head weighing me down and saying, 'Hurry up.
Quote examples
Patty Murray
American Politician
I'll be at the table, as I've been, willing to talk to any Republican who says, 'Look, my country is more important, this pile of bills is not going to go away, the challenges that we have is not going to disappear, we need to cross that divide.' I'm ready. I'm waiting.
Quote examples
Steve Buscemi
American Actor
Character actors just pile up the credits because you work on a movie for, like, a few days. It's not like I'm the lead in everything I do - far from it. I'm not spending three or four months on a picture; I'm spending three or four weeks. Sometimes three or four days.
Quote examples
Danica Patrick
American Driver
I think the more yellows, the more lights, the better. It alerts everybody. I mean, I guess I'm always a little bit afraid when the yellow comes out, we all get out of it, that someone won't notice it, pile into the back of you.
Quote examples
Pooja Bedi
Indian Actress
We need to celebrate our lives. One day, we're all going to be dead and gone, and be nothing more than a pile of ashes. This is one life we've got and the only way to live it is to live it up shamelessly and joyously.
Quote examples
Charlotte Dujardin
British Athlete
The fan mail I get every day is incredible. It piles through the door from not just Britain but everywhere. It is so great to have that support behind me - everyone says I am an inspiration. It is great.
Quote examples
Alice Ripley
American Actor
My favorite thing as a performing artist is to get a pile of raw material from a writer who says, 'Will you help me make this real?' There's nothing like starting from scratch.
Quote examples
Barbara Walters
American Journalist
I can get a better grasp of what is going on in the world from one good Washington dinner party than from all the background information NBC piles on my desk.
Quote examples
Kameron Hurley
American Writer
Authors are often sent a number of books to read for possible review and advance praise. It can be easy for new books to get lost in the pile.
Example 1 of 10
WordUp Chrome Extension
As you browse the web instantly look up words you don’t know.
Get Chrome Extension